Get those charts for free

[Kahuna]

Sometime ago I wrote a small program out of necessity to get the FAA approach plates to my computer so I could put them on a stick and take them to my GRT EFIS for usage. Discussion here. Tool here. That tool is very useful for me.
Recently there was a request by me to have GRT allow and support the use of displaying charts. Version 1.0 of that tool is here.
Whats it do? Simply it goes out to the FAA digital products enroute chart site, figures out the current cycle, and downloads the low, high and area charts to your PC and stores them in a very simple file structure. From there you can put them on your ipad, USB stick, or whatever you like. They are just PDF's so any PDF reader should be able to read them. These PDF files can be large. As an example, the alaska enroute low chart 1 is 11mb. This could cause a reader to crash. Sorry Not my problem. Your PC will handle it. However, I am working on a version of my program that will chop these PDF files to a MUCH smaller size. We typically dont need the very high resolution and size for our little ipads or GRT screens. Ill let you know when thats done. Im also working on sections and terminal charts too.
These charts in total are ~200mb and take less than 30min to download on your typical broadband internet connection.
Enjoy,

[eric_marsh]

Just FYI, I've been working with digital charts too and am very close to releasing a number of iTunes store apps, one per chart. My apps do full zooms, has very high performance and best of all work in airplane mode. When used with a jailbroken phone and the Orange Gadgets GPS module it will display the current location and heading.

I'm thinking of selling them for $.99 a copy with each copy expiring at the end of the chart's 28 day cycle.

[erich weaver]

Originally Posted by eric_marsh

Just FYI, I've been working with digital charts too and am very close to releasing a number of iTunes store apps, one per chart. My apps do full zooms, has very high performance and best of all work in airplane mode. When used with a jailbroken phone and the Orange Gadgets GPS module it will display the current location and heading.

I'm thinking of selling them for $.99 a copy with each copy expiring at the end of the chart's 28 day cycle.

I understand Kahuna's quest to get the charts on GRT screens, presumably at no charge. I dont understand this latest efffort for charts through iTunes - this stuff seems to be already available at a very modest price through Skycharts. Are you offering anything different or better?

erich

[eric_marsh]

I'm offering charts and optionally a GPS system that don't require an illegal wireless connection while in the air. I think this is a pretty big deal.

You should also see the level of performance I managed to get. It blows away Sky Charts and has a zoom resolution that is as good as provided by the original digital format. I had to do some major work to achieve all this because the API functions provided by Apple had terrible performance and would crash the app with out of memory errors every couple minutes.

[erich weaver]

I dont think you understand how Skycharts works. It allows you to put the charts you need while flying into memory so that no internet connection is required.

erich

[jthocker]

Wow, long time RV guy, who continually gives back to the RV community thru FREE formation clinics, killer RV6 builder site with lots of FREE downloadable stuff, works on a FREE program, that will allow FREE charts to the mass's. Contrasted with an RV wannabe looking to get rich off of his program! Or did I misread!

[David Paule]

Skycharts already does an excellent job. Can't imagine spending money on individual apps that expire for that.

Especially since many flights would take us out of one app and into another.

Sure sounds like a bad business plan to me.

[eric_marsh]

Originally Posted by jthocker

Wow, long time RV guy, who continually gives back to the RV community thru FREE formation clinics, killer RV6 builder site with lots of FREE downloadable stuff, works on a FREE program, that will allow FREE charts to the mass's. Contrasted with an RV wannabe looking to get rich off of his program! Or did I misread!

Get rich? At 99 cents a copy of which I get to keep 70%?

Yea, right.

An extra $.99 cents isn't going to exactly prevent a pilot from going out for that $100 hamburger.

I'm looking to provide a superior product and am looking for a modest compensation for my efforts, which have been significant.

This whole idea came about after riding in the cockpit with a pilot who was trying to use SkyCharts in the air and I got to see first hand that just wasn't working very well.

But anyhow, I've put the work in and will post on this forum when the charts are available. Some might find them to be beneficial. Others will choose not to try them out.

It's the American way, right?

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by eric_marsh

But anyhow, I've put the work in and will post on this forum when the charts are available. Some might find them to be beneficial. Others will choose not to try them out.

It's the American way, right?

Yep, that it is.

Good luck with it.

[eric_marsh]

Originally Posted by Mike S

Yep, that it is.

Good luck with it.

Thanks!